A major metal recycling firm has received a significant fine due to safety failures.
- The firm did not effectively separate HGVs from workers during waste sorting.
- An inspection revealed close calls between vehicles and pedestrians at the site.
- Previous warnings about safety risks were ignored over several years.
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE) acted following the company’s guilty plea.
A prominent metal recycling company was fined £650,000 after failing to ensure the segregation of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) from pedestrian workers while sorting waste manually. This substantial fine highlights the repercussions of neglecting critical safety measures within industrial operations.
The enforcement came after a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector conducted a site visit in 2023, capturing footage of unsafe practices. The video showcased workers in yellow hi-vis jackets hand-sorting waste alarmingly close to operating 360 grab excavators. During the inspection, a red HGV skip lorry was recorded reversing perilously near these workers, two of whom had their backs turned to the moving vehicle. Notably, there were no barriers or preventive measures in place, increasing the risk of potential collisions and injuries.
An in-depth examination by HSE revealed that the company, ASM Metal Recycling based in Aylesbury, had recognised the danger of pedestrian-vehicle collisions before. Despite this awareness, the firm did not implement effective strategies to mitigate these risks. Historically, the HSE had issued several enforcement notices to ASM Metal Recycling, tracing back to years such as 2010, 2014, 2016, and 2018, along with contravention letters in 2021 and 2023.
ASM Metal Recycling’s repeated disregard for safety culminated in a legal proceeding where the company admitted to breaches of the health and safety regulations, resulting in the hefty fine and additional costs of £5,885 ordered by the Oxford Magistrates Court.
Emma Page, an HSE inspector, commented on the issue by stating, “The scrap and metal recycling industry has consistently had a poor fatal incident rate for many years.” She emphasised that “the most serious risk associated with manually sorting waste is a collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian.” Page further remarked that approximately five fatalities occur annually in the waste sector, with nearly half involving vehicles striking pedestrians, underscoring the critical need for rigorous safety practices.
The significant fine serves as a stark reminder of the importance of adhering to safety regulations to prevent industrial accidents.
